Cattle-car



(No Model.) S

J. G. KLETT.

CATTLE GAR. No. 254,389. Patented Feb. 28,1882.

WITNESSES: 12/ q ma E 6 jai wi/w 1 BY 00AM 7 INVENTOR;

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PhalvLilhographer. Washingfim n v c j UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

JOHN G. KLETT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CATTLE-CA R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,339, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed December 17, 1881. (N model.)

full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to facilitate feeding and watering cattle during transportation.

The invention consists in a carprovided with standards on which gates are hung, provided at the top and bottom with spring-latches fitting in apertures in the top and bottom of the car, whereby the gates can be locked at any desired-inclination to form stalls for the animals. The standards are connected by trans- -verse bars carrying hay-racks and a waterpipe, and also carryinglongitudinal rails, on which troughs slide, provided with rollers on the bottom and with guide-recesses in the upper edges of the ends, which troughs are connected by couplingbars bent reetangularly at the ends, which bent ends fit into loops on the ends of the troughs, and are held in place-by hinged bail-handles on the ends of the troughs.

The invention further consists in a hinged gate provided with a sliding section for lengthening this gate as may be necessary.

The invention also consists in parts and details of construction, as will befully described hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of'this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures,

Figure l is a sectional plan view of my improved cattle-car. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of one end of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional elevation of one of the sliding fodder-troughs and its tracks and coupling-bars.

Two plates, A, having their inner or adjoining longitudinal edges raised or turned upward, are fastened parallel with each other on the floor A of 'the car B, these plates being located equidistant from the longitudinal central line of the car. A series of standards,

B, are connected in pairs by upper and lower transverse bars, B B suitably braced by the braces B B projecting from these bars to the lower and upper ends respectively of the standards B. The lower ends of the standards B are bent outwardly, and are passed under the raised or upturned longitudinal edges of the plates A, and are held in place by bolts and clamping-plates a. A longitudinal track, bar, or rail, O, projects from the top of the lower transverse bars B and is held on these bars B by two flange-clips, old, and a like longitudinal track, bar, or rail, 0 projects from the under side of the upper transverse bars B and is held in place by flange-clips b b.

A series of fodder-troughs, D, are each provided with a longitudinal central groove, D, in the bottom, this groove containing rollers c, and these troughs are also provided with upper edge. The rollers 0 rest on the lower track, 0, and the upper track plate or rail, 0

passes into the recesses c in the ,upper edges of the end plates, D whereby these troughs will be guided on these rails or tracks 0 G The length of eachtrough is to bea short distance' less than the distance from one pair of standards B to the next, as shown in Fig.1. The width of these troughs is about equal to the transverse distance from one standard B to the other.

The troughs are provided at each end with a pivoted bail-handle, E, and directly below this handle with a flat horizontal or transverseloop or socket, E, adapted to receive the end of a coupling-har,E Therectangularly-bentends ofthe coupling-bars E are passedinto theloops E of the adjoining ends of two troughs, D, and

the loops or sockets and prevented from becoming disengaged accidentally.

1 A water-pipe, F, provided with spouts F passes over the centers of the upper transverse bars B and is connected by a pipe, F, with a tank, F on the roof of the car.

The lower ends of the upper braces, B are inclined upward to receive the lower longitudinal bars of inclined hay-racks G, the upper bars of which rest against the standards B, and are held by suitable hooks, G, or equivalen ts. The racks G are also held on the standards B byan angular rod,G pivoted to one'of the braces B and passed transversely over the bottom bars of the racks, the angularly-bent end of this rod Gr being passed through an aperture in the corresponding bar B and secured by means of a key passed through the outer or lower end of the bent part of the rod.

Apivot, H, projects from the top of each standard B, and a pivot, H, projects from the outer side of each standard B, a short distance above the bottom of the same. On these pivots the doors or gates J are hung which form the. stalls for the animals. consist either of a single section, J, or of two sections, J J of which the section J is hung on the pivots of the standards B and the section J 2 slides horizontally on the section J I" will describe both constructions of these gates.

The section J is composed of two vertical bars, K, united by one or more transverse rods, K. The outer bar K is longer than the inner bar K, but does not reach quite to thebottom A of the car, and is provided at its lower end with a vertical slot, K provided with a shoulder or shoulders, g-that is, the upper part of the slot is wider than the lower part, and the vertical edges have an offset. A spring-rod, L, the outer end of which is bent downward, is passed through the slot K and is attached atits inner end to ablock,L,sliding on the lowest transverse rod K of the gate-section J. The fioorA of the car is provided with one or two rows of apertures, h, alon g the outer or longitudinal edges of the car, and

by passing the downwardly-bent end of the spring-rod L into one of these apertures h the gate-section J will be held in positionthatis, the gate can be locked in position to have a greater or less inclination to the longitudinal plates A, accordingly as the end ofits bentrod L is passed into an aperture, 72, a greater or less distance from that standard, B, to which the gate is hung.- Accordingly as this distance is greater or less the slidingrod L must be drawn a greater or less distance out of theend ofthe gate. If the outer end of the rod L is to re main raised, the rod is rested on one of the shoulders g of the slot K The upper end, M, of the outer gate-bar K is bent outwardly, and the bent part is provided with an aperture, through which a latchrod, M, passes, which rod M rcaches'to the ceiling N of the car, provided with a series of apertures, h, like the floor. This rod M also passes through an an gle-piece, N, attached to and projecting from the outer surface of the outer gate-bar K, a short distance below the upper end of the same, and below this anglepiece the rod M is provided with a rectangular bend, M A spiral spring, 0, surrounds the rod M, between the angle-piece N and the upper bent end of the outer gate-bar K, and is attached to this rod, pressing the same upward.

The gate-section J is constructed of two bars, P P, united by transverse rods 1? P. The rods K of the section J pass through the inner bar P of the section J and the rods P of the section J pass through the outer bar These gates- K of the section J, so that the section J can slide horizontally on the section J. The outer bar P of the section J is provided at its lower end with a recess, 70, through which the slidingspring-barLpasses. Ablock,Q,isclan1ped on the outer bar P of the section J in such a manner that it can slide vertically on this bar, and this block Q, is pivoted to a U-shaped clip, R, resting on and adapted to slide on the upper edge of one of the longitudinal slats S of the car, on which slat it can be locked in any desired position by means of a bindingscrew, Z. The outer end of the section J is thus firmly locked to the side of the car, and can be held at any desired inclination, as the clip It can slide on the slat S. The clip Roan be mounted on any desired slat S, as the block Q can be adjusted vertically on the outer end bar, P, of the section J The outer end of the end couplin g-bar, E for connecting the troughs D, is bent upward and held firmly by a U- shaped loop,T, locked firmly on the end of the bottom rail, 0, thus holding all the troughs in position.

The above-described devices can be erected in the ordinary cattle-cars in use heretofore without changing the construction of these cars, and the standards and gates can be removed very-conveniently and rapidly if the car is to be used for other purposes.

The car is prepared for the reception of cattle, and-the cattle are fed in the following manner: The single gates J or double gates J J are adjusted at the required inclination, as circumstances may require, and are locked in position by means of the spring-bars L, the latchrods M, or the clip-blocks Q. It. If the latchrods M are to be kept in a lowered position while swinging the gates, the bent lower ends, M of the rods M are passed under the lower edges of the angle-pieces N, as shown on the right-hand side of Fig. 2.

The cattle can be admitted into the car through a side gate for each stall, or the car can have side doors at one end only, and the animal that is to go into the opposite end stall is admitted first and the first end gate swung into position. Then the next animal is admitted and the next gate closed, and so on. However, the manner of loading the car can be varied as may be desired.

The attendant fills the troughs D at the end Wot the car and pushes them along the tracks 0 C the several troughs being successively united by means of the connecting-bars E WVhen all the troughs arein place-that is, one trough for every two opposite stalls-the coupling-bar E projecting from the end of the last trough D,is secured bymeans of the U-shaped clip T, as described.

The empty troughs are withdrawn successively and uncoupled, and are then filled and returned again.

The attendant need not leave the car to feed all the animals in the car, and need not leave the space W, in which the fodder can be stored.

If desired, the trough-track may be arranged hinged at its end to the standards and provided with a sliding lengthening-rod, L.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The series of movable fodder-troughs D, having each alongitudinal central groove, D,

[5 .rolls 0 in said grooves,'and recessed ends D in combination with track-plates (3 0 as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a cattle-car, of a series of standards connected by transverse bars carrying tracks, and of troughs sliding on these tracks, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a cattle-car, of a series of standards on which gates are hung, of transverse bars connecting these standards, of tracks supported by these transverse bars, and of troughs adapted to slide on these tracks, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the cattle-car B, of the plates A on the floor of the same, the

standards B, held by these plates A, and of the gates J, hung on these standards, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with acattle-car,ofplates A, turned up at the adjoining edges, the standards B, having a bend at the lower ends, the clamping-plates a, and the gates J, hung on these standards, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination,with a cattle-car, of the standards B, the transverse bars B the tracks C 0 and the troughs D, adapted to slide on these tracks, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the standardsB,connected by transverse bars B of the tracks G 0 the troughs D, adapted to slide on these tracks, and the water-pipe F, resting on the upper transverse bars B substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. In. a cattle-car, the combination,with the tracks 0 C of a series of troughs, D, connected by coupling-bars E substantially as herein shown and described, and for the pur pose set forth.

9. In a cattle-car,the combination, with the tracks 0 O and the troughs D, provided with swinging bail-handles E and loops E, of the coupling-bars E, for connecting the troughs, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the tracks 0 C of the troughs D, connected by couplingbars E and the clip T, attached to the track 0, for holding the coupling-bar E ofthe end trough,snbstantia lly as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the tracksO C of the troughs D, provided in the bottom with a longitudinal groove, D, containing rollers e, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the tracks 0 C of the troughs D, provided with longitudinal grooves in the bottom, and with enlarged ends D having recesses c in the top, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the standards B, of the transverse connectingbars 13, the braces B, turned up at the lower ends, and of the hay-racks G, resting on these braces, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

14. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the standards B, of the transverse connectingbars B, the braces B, turned up at the lower ends, the hay-racks G, resting on these braces, and the hooks G, for holding the upper bars of these racks, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the standards B, of the transverse connectingbars B the braces B, the racks G, and the pivoted transverse rod G for holding these racks, substantially as herein shown and de scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

16. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the standards B, of the gates J, provided with a spring-rod, L, at the bottom, and a latch-rod, M, at the top, which rods L and M pass into apertures in the floor and ceiling of the car, and thus hold the gates in the desired position, substantially as herein shown and described, and for-the purpose set forth.

17. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the gate J, of the sliding bent spring-rod L, sub stantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

18. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the gate J, of the bent spring-rod L, passing through a slot, K provided with shoulders g at the bottom of the outer gate-bar K, and of the block L slidin on the bottom transverse rod K of the gate, and attached to the inner end of the rod L, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

19. In-acattle-car, the combination, with the gate J, of the angle-piece N, the latch-rod M, provided with a rectangular bend, M at the lower end, and of the spring 0, surrounding and attached to the rod M, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose sct forth.

20. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the standards B, of the gate-section J, hung on these standards, and of the gate-section J sliding on the section J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the pur ose set forth. I

21. In a cattle-car, the combination, with the IIO swinging gate-section J, provided with bottom latch-rod, L, and top latch-rod, M, of the s ction J sliding on the section J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2!. In aouttle-onr,tl1e combination, with the swinging gate J, of the block Q, sliding on the outer bar of this gate and pivoted to a U- shaped clip, R, adapted to fit on the horizontal slats of the car, substantially as herein 10 shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN G. KLETT. Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, O. SEDGWIOK. 

